Charles ball-are hale



C. B. HALE.

NEEDLE VALVE.

APPLxcAioN FILED MAY zo, 191e.

Mmmm@ June 3, M9.

SATES PATENT QFFICE.

CHARLES BALLARD HALE, OF PARK RIDGE, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO TIME-SYSTEMSCOMPANY, OF PORTLAND, MAINE, A CORPORATION 0F MAINE.

NEEDLE-VALVE.

Application ined May 2o, 1916.

T0 ZZ whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, CHARLES BALLARD HALE, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Park Ridge, in the county of Cook and State ofIllinois, have invented certain new and useful In'iprovements in Needle-Valves, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to double needle valves of the type especiallydesigned for use in connection with pneumatic clock systems, whereby anyof the secondary or subsidiary clocks may be disconnected from the linepipe, without interfering with the operation of the remaining clocks onthe line, or with the passage of air through the line pipe.

Furthermore, the present invention has for its object the constructionof a double needle valve which embodies a minimum number of parts.

IlVith the above and other objects in view, as will hereinafter beapparent, this invention consists in the construction, combination andarrangement of parts, all as hereinafter more fully described, claimedand illustrated in the accompanying drawing Figure l is a viewillustrating diagrammatically a series of secondary or subsidiary clocksconnected to the line pipe;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of a valve constructed in accordance with thepresent invention, illustrating the cooperation thereof with the linepipe.

Fig. 3 is an elevation taken from the right of Fig. 2 with parts thereofomitted;

Fig. l is an enlarged elevation of the valve illustrating thecooperation thereof with the line pipe and the means of operating thevalve;

Fig. 5 is a section line along line 5 5 of Fig. 4 and illust 'ates theinternal mechanism of the valve and the means for operating the same,the valve being shown open; and

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary similar view illustrating the valve closed.

As the particular function of this invention is the use in connectionwith the secondary or subsidiary clocks of a pneumatic clock system, thepresent invention will be illustrated and described in connection withsuch systems, but it will be apparent that this valve has many otheruses.

In pneumatic clock systems there is usu- Specicaton of Letters Patent.

Patented June 3, 1919.

Serial No. 98,764.

ally provided a master clock and a series of secondary or subsidiaryclocks, said subsidiary or secondary clocks being connected in parallelto the master clock by means of a line pipe. The master clock transmitsimpulses of air through the line pipe which operates all of thesecondary clocks, connected to said line pipe, in unison, said air beingheld under pressure in the line pipe until released by the master clock.If, however, a secondary clock should be removed from the system, andthe branch pipe connecting said clock to the line pipe be left open, theremaining secondary clocks, connected to the line pipe, would fail tooperate in unison and may possibly fail entirely to operate. For thisreason, it is desirable to provide a means whereby the branch pipeconnecting a secondary clock to the line pipe may be closed, withoutinterfering with the passage of air through the line pipe, when it isnecessary to disconnect the secondary clock from the linepipe.

Reference being had more particularly to the drawing, 10 indicates theline pipe, provided at suitable intervals with the branch pipes 1l, eachbranch pipe being designed to connect a secondary clock 13 to the linepipe by means of the connecting pipe l2. For the purposes ofillustration, the line pipe is shown below the secondar 1 pipes, whereasin practice it is usually sealed in the wall to the rear of thesecondary clocks, the branch pipes piercing the wall and entering thesecondary clocks through the back of the casing thereof: hence theconnecting pipe l2 is usually within the Acasing of a secondary clock13.

The needle valve forming the subject matter of the present invention,constitutes the means of communication between the connecting pipe 12,which may be either flexible or rigid, and the branch pipe ll, andcomprises a valve casing la provided with a passage 15 in one endthereof, which is interiorly threaded as at 1S for the reception of theexteriorly threaded end lleL of the brauch pipe ll. A partition 17 isformed at the inner end of the passage l5 and is pierced by a centralopening or aperture 18, which constitutes a contraction or stricture inthe passage l5, and thereby forms a valve seat. On the opposite side ofthe partition 17 to the passage l5 there is formed, in the casing 14, acavity 19, alined with the passage l5 and interiorly threaded throughouta portion of its depth as at 20. The inner end of this cavity 19terminates in a shoulder 20a, which creates a chamber 21, comprising acontinuation of the cavity 19 and communicating directly with theaperture in the partition 17.

A nipple 22 extends at right angles from the casing 14 at a point inalinement with the chamber 21 and is pierced throughout with a passage23, connecting directly with said chamber 21.

rlhe connecting pipe 12 is secured to the nipple 22 at one end, and atthe other end to the secondary clock movement on the interior of theclock casing 13. Manifestly therefore, an impulse of air, transmittedthrough the line pipe 10, passes into each branch pipe 11 and throughthe passage 15, the aperture 18 of the partition 17 to the chamber 21,whence it escapes through the passage 23 of the nipple 22 to theconnecting pipe 12; from which it acts directly upon the clock movement.

lf the connecting pipe 12 was disconnected from the nipple 22, it isapparent that the air under pressure within the line pipe 10 and thebranch pipe 11 would escape entirely from the system, so that theremaining secondary clocks would be unaffected by the air, or at leastonly partly affected, unless the aperture 18 of the partition 17 wasclosed prior to the disconnection. Therefore, a needle valve is mountedin the cavity 19 of the casing 14 so that it will close the aperture 1Sof the partition 17 when so desired. To accomplish thisa bushing 24 isthreaded into the cavity 19, said bushing being provided with ahexagonal head 25, by means of which the bushing is rotated in thecavity. The end of the bushing is provided with a feather edge 2G which,when the bushing has been threaded completely into the casing 14, bearsagainst the shoulder 2()a thereof and spreads, locking the bushingwithin the cavity 19 so that it can only be removed by the use of awrench and will therefore remain locked within the cavity under normalconditions.

An internally threaded passage 27 is formed in the bushing 24 andreceives the exteriorly threaded valve stein 28. At its inner end thevalve stem is provided with a double cone valve 29, beveled on bothsides thereof, so that one side thereof can be seated in the aperture 18of the partition 17, and the opposite side thereof be seated in theinner end in the passage 27 in the bushing 24. The outer end of thevalve stem 28 is provided with a squared socket 30 for the reception ofa key 31.

From the foregoing it is apparent that the present valve is constructedof three pieces, namely the body or casing 14, having the nipple 22constructed integrally therewith; the bushing 24 arranged to be threaded into the cavity 19 of the casing 14; and the valve stem 28, carryingthe valve 29, and arranged to be threaded into the passage 27 of thebushing 24 and to be normally operable therein. As has been heretoforedescribed, the air normally passes from the branch pipe 11 through theaperture v18 in the partition 17 and into the chamber 21,

whence it escapes through the passage 23 of the nipple 22. This ispossible only when the valve 29 is seated as illustrated in Fig. 5,viz.: with the valve head seated at the inner end of the passage 27 ofthe bushing 24, where it forms an air tight seal'for said passage sothat none of the air passing through the casing or body 14 can escapefrom the chamber 21 thereof except through the passage 23 of the nipple22. However, by rotating the valve stem 28, by means of the key 31,adapted to be inserted in the socket 30 of the said valve stem, thevalve 29 will be seated in the aperture 18 of the partition 17, asillustrated in Fig. 6, thereby sealing said aperture and likewise thebranch pipe 11.

lanifestly when a branch pipe 11 is sealed by the valve head 29, thesecondary clock 13 cooperating therewith may be disconnected, repairedor otherwise adjusted without affecting the remaining clocks connectedto the line pipe 10; or without permitting any air held under pressurein the line pipe 10.

to escape.

In the drawing the connecting pipe 12 is illustrated as made of rubber,or other ieX- ible material, and merely slips over the nipple. teriorlythreaded for the purpose of making a connection between a rigidconnecting pipe 12 and the said nipple, when it is so desired.

Vhat is claimed is 1. The combination with a valve casing, having apassage therethrough, of an apertured partition in said passage, abushing threaded into one end of said casing and a feather edge formedon the inner end of said bushing adapted to be spread when the bushingreaches the inner endv of its movement for the purpose of locking thebushing within the casing aforesaid.

2. The combination with a casing, having a passage therethrough, of anapertured contraction in said passage, a shoulder formed in said passageadjacent to the contraction aforesaid, a bushing threaded into the endof said passage adjacent to said shoulder, and means carried by saidbushing and adapted to contact with the shoulder aforesaid for lockingthe bushing within said passage.

3. The combination with a valve casing, having a passage therethrough,of an aper- Atured contraction in said passage, a shoulder formed insaid passage adjacent to the contraction aforesaid, a bushing threadedHowever, the nipple 22 may be ex-- into the end of said passage adjacentto said shoulder, and a feather edge formed on the inner end of saidbushing and adapted to Contact With and be spread 'by the shoulderaforesaid for lockingl the bushing Within said casing.

4E. The combination with a valve casing, having a passage therethrough,of an apertnred contraction in said passage, a shoulder formed in saidpassage adjacent to the contraction aforesaid, a bushing threaded intothe end of said passage adjacent to said shoulder, having an interiorlythreaded pas sage therein, a feather edge formed on the inner end ofsaid bushing and arranged to contact With and be spread by the shoulderaforesaid for iixing the bushing in the casing, and a valve adjustablycarried by the bushing aforesaid, adapted to close the contraction inthe passage of the casing.

5. The combination with a valve casing, having la passage therethrough,of an apertured contraction in said passage, a shoulder formed in saidpassage adjacent to the contraction aforesaid, a bushing threaded intothe end of said passage adjacent to said shoulder, having an interiorlythreaded passage therein, a feather edge formed on the inner end of saidbushing and arranged to contact With and be spread by the shoulderaforesaid for fixing the bushing in the casing, a v-alve stein threadedinto the passage of said bushing, and a double cone valve carried at theinner end of said valve stein and adapted to seal either 'thecontraction in the passage of the casing, o-r the inner end of thepassage in the bushing.

6. The combination with a valve casing, having a passage at one endthereof, terminating in a shouldered cavity in the opposite end thereof,of an apertnred partition separating said shouldered cavity and passage,a bushing threaded into the cavity, having an interiorly threadedpassage therein, a coextensive feather edge fornied on the inner end ofsaid bushing and arranged to lclontact With the shoulder of the cavityaforesaid to be spread thereby for the engagenient of the Wall of saidcavity, a valve stein threaded in the passage of said bushing providedWith a key socket in its outer end, and a double cone valve formed onthe inner end of said valve stein, and adapted to seal either theopening in the partition aforesaid or the inner end of the passage inthe bushing.

CHARLES BALLARD HALE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

